BRAD Guzan has admitted it was too hard to turn his back on Villa despite officially leaving the club this summer.

BRAD Guzan has admitted it was too hard to turn his back on Aston Villa despite officially leaving the club this summer.

The American goalkeeper
was released at the end of last season after failing to sign the contract extension that he was offered.

But in a dramatic u-turn, the 28-year-old put pen-to-paper on a new deal after encouraging talks with boss Paul Lambert shortly after his arrival.

Guzan, who has since dislodged Shay Given as the club’s No.1, insists he had unfinished business in the Midlands and was desperate to prove his worth.

He also admits he had no intention of leaving England and was determined to remain in the Premier League.

“I had a really good conversation with the manager who said that everyone was to start on an even keel and that everyone would get an opportunity,” he said.

“He told me it was up to the players to take that chance.

“That was the conversation and after that it was a no-brainer.

“I had a talk towards the end of last season (with the club) so it was always on the table, sort of thing.

“My contract expired and when that happens the club have to put a statement out saying ‘x’ amount of players have been released and so on.

“To be honest, that never really affected me in any way.”

Guzan admits it had been a frustrating time for him at the club playing second fiddle, first to Brad Friedel and then Given.

During the summer he even considered dropping down a division in search of first-team football and there were plenty of offers available to him.

But it was an extensive chat with Lambert that made up his mind to stay at Villa and fight for his place.

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“I had a few conversations going on with a few clubs,” he added. “For me, after I had a conversation with the manager, I weighed up my options and I still felt like I could contribute to the club.

“I hadn’t shown what I could bring to the table, if that makes sense.

“I still felt as though I had more to give.

“When the opportunity did come back, with everything else going on, I thought this would be my best fit.

“It’s been a good decision.

“The other offers were in this country, I wanted to remain in England.

“Being an American, English games are always on television back home.

“I remember waking up as a kid watching games, and rushing home from school to watch Champions League games in the afternoons, so that’s something you want to be a part of.

“For me it was never a doubt of leaving the country or going back to the MLS, it was finding the right position where I could progress my career and move forward and really put my stamp on the game and ultimately the club.

“As a goalkeeper you always want to be playing games and this recent run of games has been good for me.

“You want to be out there in front of the fans, getting points and hoping that the team can be successful.”

The USA international who is currently away with his country joined Villa for £600,000 from Chivas in July 2008.

He has played the last four Premier League games and is now Lambert’s first-choice stopper.